I have never seen anyone outside of Wisconsin with one of these, but I certainly hope that others do!
This fleece tie blanket is a super easy, fun and cute gift (or keep it for yourself!)
I've been wanting to make one for a long time, but fleece isn't exactly cheap, UNLESS it is 50% at Joann's! Then, it is cheap! You can make one of these blankets for about $10 if it is on sale. And if it's not, use coupons! FYI: All fleece solids and prints are 50% off until December 24th! NICE!
So here goes!
You need:
2 pieces of fleece in colors/prints of choice, 1 yard each
Sharp scissors
A ruler (not pictured)
Trim off any weird edges of the fleece, then place them on top of each other, right sides OUT. For most prints, it doesn't really matter which side is out when it comes to fleece. It doesn't have to be perfect, but get them as even on every side as possible.
The first big move is to cute 4" x 4" squares out of each corner. You can do 3 x 3 or 5 x 5, but I recommend 4 x 4. Again, remember NOTHING has to be PERFECT or EXACT in this project, just CLOSE. : ) Sometimes you get weird edges when you cut fleece. Don't waste your time trying to get every line straight, it really doesn't matter, I promise.
You will get something like this in each corner:
Now you are ready to start cutting!
What you need to do is cut 1" wide strips all the way around the blanket, through both pieces of fleece, about 4" (the length of your squares) long.
Like I said, no perfections here. Don't measure every strip. Just measure one or two at first to get a feel for it. They can be a little wider or a little smaller, just don't get too close to 2" because that would probably end up very weird.
Tip: If you are cutting right to left, hold onto the fabric that hasn't been cut yet and that will keep the fleece taught and easier to cut. If you are cutting left to right, hold onto the strip that you are currently cutting. Examples below:

Another important tip: This requires a lot of cutting. It is going to seem hard at first, but as you go on, it will get easier and faster. However, my hand started to really hurt about halfway through. Genius idea! Use a little square of fleece (from the corners you cut out) and place it between your thumb and the scissors. Ahhh comfort!
Once you are finished cutting, your fleece will look something like this:
The next step is where the blanket gets its name. TIME TO TIE.
Start in the corners. Tie the corner strips together. If you start at the corners, you can throw that thing around while you tie the rest and you won't have to worry about it not lining up.
Take one strip from each fleece and knot it together. Try not to tie TOO tight or the blanket will bunch too much and you won't like the finished product.
Tie all the way around the blanket. What I did was I tied every other pair of strips, then turned the blanket over and tied the rest. I'm really not sure if this did anything special.
When you are tying, try not to get the loose ends from previous ties stuck in your new tires. You want all your hard work to be showing!
Your finished product will be a soft, fleecy, yummy blanket- great for gift giving. Mostly for kids, but I wouldn't mind getting one of these! : )
The fish blanket is for Evan.
When I was at Joann's, I saw this panda print and I wanted it so bad, but obviously Evan is not a girl. When I was done with this blanket, I realized that I knew a girl that might really like it, so I went back.
Cute, right?
After all, according to the
Red Velvet girls, pandas are really cool right now. And I agree!
Any questions, feel free to shoot it into the comments! I hope you will make one of these for a friend!